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WHEN LIFE NEARLY DIED
The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time
Michael Benton
"The focus is the most severe mass extinction known in earth's history. . . .The science on which the book is based is
up-to-date, thorough, and balanced. Highly recommended." —Choice
NEW IN PAPERBACK
Today it is common knowledge that the dinosaurs were
wiped out by a meteorite impact 65 million years ago that
killed half of all species then living. Far less known is a
much greater catastrophe that took place at the end of the
Permian period 251 million years ago: ninety percent of
life was destroyed, including saber-toothed reptiles and
their rhinoceros-sized prey on land, as well as vast numbers
of fish and other species in the sea.
This book documents not only what happened during
this gigantic mass extinction but also the recent rekindling
of the idea of catastrophism.Was the end-Permian event
caused by the impact of a huge meteorite or comet, or by
prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? The evidence has
been accumulating through the 1990s and into the new
millennium, and Michael Benton gives his verdict at the
end of the volume.
From field camps in Greenland and Russia to the laboratory
bench, When Life Nearly Died involves geologists,
paleontologists, environmental modelers, geochemists,
astronomers, and experts on biodiversity and conservation.
Their working methods are vividly described and
explained, and the current disputes are revealed. The
implications of our understanding of crises in the past for
the current biodiversity crisis are also presented in detail.
Michael Benton is Professor of Vertebrate Paleontology
and Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the
University of Bristol. He has written over forty books, many
of them standard technical works and textbooks, as well as
popular books about dinosaurs and the history of life.
"Tells the story of how people—from Victorian times to
the present—have wrested meaning from old rocks,
bones, and shells. He tells us of rivalries and squabbles,
and paints a vivid picture of science as a quintessentially
human endeavor—an ongoing search for better understanding
that by its very nature can never be finished."—Niles Eldredge,
American Museum of Natural History
"The author covers a lot of information, but he connects it all in a readable and interesting way, while striving to
present a balanced and open-ended viewpoint. For public
and academic libraries." —Library Journal
ISBN 0-500-28573-X
· 61/2" x 93/8"
· 46 illustrations · 336 pages · ANCIENT HISTORY / PALEONTOLOGY
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